𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐃𝐎𝐌 𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 | Vikings²

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑵𝒊𝒏𝒆

BETRAYAL

UNLIKE BEFORE, no one seemed to mind Sophie's outburst as she left the dining hall, leaving everyone stunned. No one could stop her, because this time she felt a newfound power within herself.

Back in her quarters, she let the heavy cape fall off her shoulder before slumping face down on the bed. That moment of peace didn't seem to last long as the door to her room was forced open, causing her to instantly push herself up.

Ubbe.

"What are you doing?" he asked. He didn't seem angry, but perhaps annoyed.

"What?" Sophie asked bluntly.

"Why did you do that?"

"You want me to pretend that everything is okay?" she asked. "Just sit there and smile?"

"We're trying our best to keep you safe, Sophie!" he raised his voice.

"Safe from what exactly?" Sophie shouted.

"Ubbe?" there was Margrethe with her accusatory eyes on Sophie.

"Not now, Margrethe," Ubbe ignored his wife who was standing behind him as he kept his eyes fixed on Sophie.

But Margrethe refused to back down. "Don't waste your time on her, Ubbe. She is crazy."

"Margrethe," Ubbe warned as he finally turned away from Sophie to face her.

"Okay, Ubbe." And with one last glare at Sophie, she turned and walked away, leaving the two standing there awkwardly.

"Perhaps she is right," Sophie said. "I'm crazy for agreeing to this."

"Your brother wanted you safe," he told her. "And you know it."

"No, I don't," Sophie replied. "No one is safe anywhere near you Vikings."

Ubbe had nothing to say this time as he just stood there.

Sophie let out a sigh. "Please get out," she told him. "I'm tired."

"Okay," was all that he said before he walked out, closing the door behind him. He did not bother her again.

The days seemed to pass slowly for Sophie, who spent most of her time in her quarters, except when she was called upon by Lagertha, who made her have dinner with them every time. But unlike before, they did not share much of a conversation. She did wander around the town of Kattegat from time to time, which seemed surreal to her—how much it had changed. Everything was so different; it was like she had never been there in the first place. She was exploring it all over again.

It was Torvi who kept her company, making it all easier for her. The two soon became good friends as they got back to their daily training routine. Just like before, Sophie enjoyed Torvi's company. But there was one person she missed a lot. A woman whom she had considered a mother in her past days in Kattegat. Yelda kept refusing to speak to her or even tell her what happened to Helen until one day Sophie decided to ask Torvi.

"She caught the flu," Torvi told her with an apologetic look on her face as she watched Sophie's eyes water.

She missed Helen way more than she would have imagined. If only Helen had agreed back then to come with her to England. Maybe she would still be alive.

The news of Floki one day reached her as she was taking a walk in the town's market where people had gathered around, babbling about how Lagertha had allowed Floki to recruit some of the people of Kattegat to follow him on his journey. He had claimed to have found a new land. No one believed him. They thought he was insane.

Weeks passed on, and nothing much happened until one night when Sophie woke up to a commotion outside her cottage. Through her partially lit room, she found her coat before reaching for the door. Outside, everyone was running around with torches toward the dock, where she watched two ships depart.

"Astrid was spirited away from here," she heard Margrethe's voice who was standing beside Torvi not so far away from Sophie.

"What's happening?" Sophie asked as she approached the two women.

"Lagertha let King Harald escape," Margrethe said as she glanced at Sophie. "He kidnapped Astrid."

King Harald had been kept in prison ever since they all arrived in Kattegat after Lagertha had felt threatened by his interest in becoming the king of her town, despite him assuring her that he did it all for love. Sophie didn't know what that meant; she wasn't really so interested in him anyway. She was just glad that he couldn't bother her anymore with his marriage proposals. But it seemed now that he was more dangerous than she thought.

"There was nothing Lagertha could do," Torvi intervened. "She was powerless."

"Isn't that more proof?" Margrethe asked.

"Proof?"

"That the gods have turned against her."

"How can you say that?" Torvi asked. "You're talking about Lagertha. And you were just a slave."

"I am not a slave now, and in my head, I never was," Margrethe said. "We are equal to Lagertha, Torvi, you, and me. We are all equal."

"You are right, Margrethe." It was Lagertha who spoke next, catching the three women off guard. "We are all equal," she told Margrethe.

"I didn't know you were listening," the young woman said.

"What does it matter? If I wasn't listening, then the gods were listening," Lagertha told her. "It's all the same. I have no feelings for you either way. I could kill you for your talk of betrayal, but I am sick of betrayal. I have known betrayal all my life. Every man I've ever known has betrayed me. Now, most women betray me. What am I supposed to think?"

"Not every woman wants to betray you," Torvi chimed in while Sophie stood there watching the interaction curiously. She had nothing to do with that.

"Of course not, Torvi, but given the chance..." Lagertha said. "Margrethe, conspire against me if you want to, but if you can find the courage to be loyal, then I will respect you like no other. You were a slave who had no choice, but now... Now, as a free woman, you choose to love me."